Reading the Women of the Bible: A New Interpretation of Their Stories

READING THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE......Page 7
Contents......Page 11
Acknowledgments......Page 13
Introduction......Page 17
The Women-stories......Page 21
Women in the Mind of Israel......Page 24
How to Read Biblical Stories......Page 26
The Active Reader......Page 29
The Path Not Taken......Page 30
Part I. Victors......Page 33
Prologue. Birth: Intimation of Destiny (Gen. 22:20-24)......Page 37
Act I. The Marriage of Rivka......Page 38
Act II. Motherhood: Giving Birth (Gen. 25:20-26)......Page 48
Act III. Motherhood: Fulfilling the Destiny (Gen. 27)......Page 49
Epilogue. Assuring the Future (Gen. 27:42-28:5)......Page 52
Act I. The Midwives (Exod. 1:15-22)......Page 56
Act II. The Daughters (Exod. 2:1-10)......Page 58
Act III. The Wife (Exod. 4:24-26)......Page 61
The Heroine Harlot (Josh. 2:1-7)......Page 66
Faith and Hesed (Josh. 2:8-14)......Page 68
The Scarlet Cord (Josh. 2:15-24)......Page 70
In the Midst of Israel (Josh. 6:21-25)......Page 72
Gibeon's Approach (Josh. 9:6-11)......Page 74
Deborah, Prophet and Judge (Judg. 4:4-5)......Page 77
Summons to Battle (Judg. 4:6-10)......Page 79
The Battle (Judg. 4:13-16)......Page 81
Yael, the Song (Judg. 5:24-27)......Page 83
Yael, the Story (Judg. 4:17-23)......Page 85
The Wise Woman of Abel (2 Sam. 20:13-20)......Page 90
Act I. The Prophet and the Woman......Page 96
Act II. The Prophet, the Mother; and the Child (2 Kings 4:18-41 )......Page 99
Act III. The Woman, Her Household, and the Land (2 Kings 8:1-6)......Page 102
A Woman Refused (Gen. 39.5-10)......Page 106
Refusal and Revenge (Gen. 39:11-20)......Page 107
Delilah......Page 109
Act I. A Woman Turned (Judg. 16:4-5)......Page 110
Act II. Nagging Samson......Page 111
Act III. A Man Undone (Judg. 16:15-21 )......Page 113
Act I. Slaughter of the Innocents (2 Kings 11:1-2)......Page 117
Act II. The Return of the House of David......Page 118
A Note About Villainesses......Page 120
Part II. Victims......Page 121
Act I. Share a Wife, Spare a Life (Gen. 12:10-20)......Page 125
Act II. Once More with Feeling (Gen. 20:1-18)......Page 127
Daddy's Daughters......Page 131
Act I. Setting the Scene (Judg. 10:17-18; 11:1-3)......Page 134
Act II. Poor Boy Makes Good (Judg. 11:4-11)......Page 135
Act III. The War with Amman (Judg. 11:12-33)......Page 136
Act IV. The Tragedy (Judg. 11:32-40)......Page 139
Act I. The Levite and His Concubine (Judg. 19)......Page 150
Act II. Israel Against Benjamin (Judg. 20)......Page 160
Act III. Murder for Marriage (Judg. 21 )......Page 165
Kings to the Rescue?......Page 171
Historical Prologue: Springtime in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 11:1)......Page 175
Act I. David and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:2-6)......Page 176
Act II. David and Uriah (2 Sam. 11:5-15)......Page 180
Act III. Aftermath (2 Sam. 11:16-27)......Page 184
Epilogue: Judgment and Retribution (2 Sam. 12)......Page 186
Part 1. A Problem (2 Sam. 13:1-2)......Page 189
Part 2. A Plan (2 Sam. 13:3s)......Page 190
Part 4. The Trapping of Tamar (2 Sam. 13:8-10)......Page 191
Part 5. The Rape of Tamar (2 Sam. 13:11-14)......Page 192
Part 6. The Worm Turns (2 Sam. 13:15-18)......Page 195
Part 7. Betrayal and Tragedy (2 Sam. 13:19-20)......Page 197
Part 8. Nothing (2 Sam. 13:21-22)......Page 200
Power and Person: A Problem of Political Life......Page 202
Cannibal Mothers (2 Kings 6:24-31)......Page 205
Part III. Virgins......Page 207
Act I. (Gen. 34:1-3)......Page 211
Volition and Virginity......Page 215
Chastity and Control......Page 217
Protocols of Propriety......Page 218
Dinah and Dishonor......Page 220
Act II. (Gen. 34:6-34)......Page 222
Act III. (Gen. 34:25-31 )......Page 226
Make No Covenant (Deut. 7:1-6)......Page 231
A Warning from Moses (Num. 33:55-56)......Page 232
A Divine Decree (Judg. 2:20-21)......Page 233
More Tests and Wars (Judg. 3:1-4)......Page 234
First Misstep (Judg. 3:5-6)......Page 235
How the Original Inhabitants Lost Their Land (Lev. 18:24-30)......Page 236
The Genealogy of Canaan (Gen. 10:15-19)......Page 237
Solomon's Foreign Wives (1 Kings 11:1-6)......Page 238
The Decree of Division (1 Kings 11:9-13)......Page 239
Judgment on Ahab (1 Kings 16:30-33)......Page 241
Jezebel to the Rescue (1 Kings 21:4-7)......Page 242
A Show Trial for Treason (1 Kings 21:8-15)......Page 243
The Prophecy of Doom (1 Kings 21:16-19)......Page 244
The Death of Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30-36)......Page 245
Ongoing Taint (Josh. 22:16-18)......Page 247
Peˁor Plague, and Prayer (Ps. 106:28-31)......Page 248
Hagar, My Other, My Self......Page 257
Act I. The Coming of Ishmael......Page 258
Act II. The Leaving of lshmael (Gen. 21)......Page 266
Royal Origins: Ruth on the Royal Way......Page 270
Naomi and Ruth......Page 271
Plans and Providence......Page 274
Ruth and Boaz......Page 275
Providence Acknowledged (Ruth 2:19-23)......Page 277
Plans and Providence......Page 278
Plans and Providence......Page 281
Law and Ḥesed (Ruth 4:1-8)......Page 282
Happy Endings, Happy Beginnings (Ruth 4:9-17)......Page 284
Royal Origins: The Moabite......Page 289
The Daughters of Lot (Gen. 19:30-38)......Page 290
Act I. The Beginning of the House of Judah (Gen. 38:1-7)......Page 296
Act II. Disaster to the House of Judah (Gen. 38:7-11)......Page 298
Act III. Tamar's Trick (Gen. 38:12-19)......Page 300
Act V. Disgrace and Denouement (Gen. 38:24-26)......Page 304
The Birth of the Bold (Gen. 38:27-30)......Page 306
The Royal Way......Page 310
Like Mother; Like Daughter (Ezek. 16:44-48)......Page 315
The Holy Seed (Ezra 9:1-3)......Page 316
Ezra's Prayer (Ezra 9:3-9)......Page 318
našîm nokriyyôt (Ezra 10:2-5)......Page 319
The Assembly (Ezra 10:7-14)......Page 320
Nehemiah's Turn (Neh. 13:23-28)......Page 322
Part IV. Voice......Page 325
A Declaration of Faith (Josh. 2:9-11)......Page 329
The Call (Judg. 4:6-10)......Page 330
The Battle (Judg. 4:12-16)......Page 331
The House of Elkanah (1 Sam. 1:1-8)......Page 333
Hannah at the Sanctuary (1 Sam. 1:10-18)......Page 335
The Birth of Samuel (1 Sam. 1:19-23)......Page 337
The Dedication of Samuel (1 Sam. 1:24-28)......Page 338
The Exalted Horn (1 Sam. 2:1-10)......Page 339
The Necromancer (1 Sam. 28:5-8)......Page 342
The Necromancy (1 Sam. 28:8-19)......Page 343
The Necromancer's Hospitality (1 Sam. 28:20-23)......Page 345
Nabal and Abigail (1 Sam. 25.2-4)......Page 347
Request, Refusal, and Reaction (1 Sam. 25:4-13)......Page 348
Abigail to the Rescue (1 Sam. 25:14-23)......Page 349
As His Name, So Is He (1 Sam. 25.24-27)......Page 350
Prince over Israel (1 Sam. 25:28-31)......Page 352
Message Received and Acknowledged (1 Sam. 25:32-35)......Page 353
To Wife! (1 Sam. 25:36-43)......Page 354
The Book and the Charge (2 Kings 22:12-14)......Page 356
The End Is Nigh (2 Kings 22:15-20)......Page 357
Woman as Voice......Page 359
Part V. Reading the Women of the Bible......Page 363
Women of Metaphor, Metaphors of Women......Page 365
The Later Adventures of Biblical Women......Page 371
In the Words of Long Ago......Page 382
Grace and Critique......Page 384
Mirrors......Page 385
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle: The Rivka Stories......Page 387
Saviors of the Exodus......Page 392
The Guardian at the Door: Rahab......Page 397
Warrriors by Weapon and Word: Deborah and Yael......Page 398
Λ Wise Woman of Power......Page 404
The Shunammite......Page 405
Villains......Page 407
The Disposable Wife......Page 410
Father-right Awry: Jephthah and His Daughter......Page 413
The Bad Old Days: Concubine and Chaos......Page 419
"Off with His Head": David, Uriah, and Bathsheba......Page 426
Trauma and Tragedy: The Betrayals of Tamar......Page 431
The Dinah Affair......Page 435
To the Barricades: Views Against the Other......Page 441
Queen Jezebel, or Deuteronomy's Worst Nightmare......Page 442
Cozbi......Page 443
Hagar, My Other, My Self......Page 444
Royal Origins: Ruth on the Royal Way......Page 449
Royal Origins: The Moabite......Page 450
Royal Origins: Tamar......Page 451
Outsider Women: Exile and Ezra......Page 456
Oracles of the Conquest of Canaan: Rahab and Deborah......Page 458
Oracles of Saul: Hannah and the Witch of Endor......Page 460
The Necromancer at Endor......Page 462
Abigail......Page 464
The Later Adventures of Biblieal Women......Page 465
Index......Page 469
About the Author......Page 479
A Note on the Type......Page 481